


Another Pawn

by LamiasLuck



Series: Timid Speech [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Blood, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Manipulation, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-02 06:42:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18805804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiasLuck/pseuds/LamiasLuck
Summary: Dark is a man of order. He expects loyalty and obedience from the egos. They fear what happens if they disobey... so what happens when the Host pushes his luck?(This references the plot of Safe Space. So be sure to read that story first!)





	1. Chapter 1

“Oh, Darky~” Wilford singsonged as he skipped towards the entity’s office. The man’s bubbly attitude was a common sight to see, but the bloodied clothes and equally bloody knife was… pretty normal too, actually. Wilford bursted through the door, smile as bright as the sun. Dark grimaced as the other tracked blood into his pristine office, but kept his temper in check.

“Did you complete your task, Wil?”

“Not even a ‘hello’? I’m hurt…” He exaggerated a hurt expression, which caused the entity to roll his eyes. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that those impolite scoundrels have been dealt with! Talkative lads too, quite the jokesters.”

“I’m sure they were,” Dark said, his cracking shell contrasting his calm pose. “I appreciate your work as always, Wil. You are dismissed, get cleaned up.”

“Aw~ Trying to get rid of me already?” He leaned onto the entities desk. His bright colours unaffected by the literal grey aura surrounding the demon-like man. “Alright, alright I’ll get out of your hair. But you’ve got to relax every once and awhile. Put a bit of madness in that boring life of yours!”

“Trust me, there’s enough madness here,” Straightening his suit, he leaned back in his chair. The smallest hint of a smile apparent on his lips, Wilford was an eccentric, sure, but a familiar one. “Have a nice day, Wilford.”

“Will do, Darky~” And in an instant, Wilford disappeared. He even had the courtesy of getting rid of the blood he tracked with him.

Now left to his own accord, Dark resumed his paperwork. He was working on schedules for the other egos, they needed to carry their weight here, after all. Like Wilford, Dark assigned the others to do various tasks, ranging from boring paperwork to literal hit jobs and murder. Sometimes the tasks were just busy work, even Dark will admit that, but he needed a strong sense of loyalty amongst the group. It was working too, most egos were always willing to volunteer to do assignments. Whether that was because of fear or admiration mattered not to the entity.

The key word was that  _ most  _ of the egos followed their orders. That is what Dark was focusing on at the moment. Sure, he can understand if he needs to actively go up to some to assign them something. But purposely ignoring their duty? Now  _ that  _ was an idea he couldn’t handle. 

This is why the Host was the topic of the day. He was a interesting man, powerful too. Even when he spends a majority of his time in that library of his, he still has built quite the reputation for himself amongst the others. So, it seems like he’s forgetting who’s in charge…

Typically, Dark asked him to change fates in favour of the other egos, or control the lives of those opposing him. Lately, however, he has been neglecting his responsibilities in favour of personal projects. 

Everyone in this household needs to know that there are repercussions for disobedience, no matter how powerful they are. Dark came up with the perfect plan.

It’s hard to intimidate the omnipotent man, but he does have his weak points. In fact, he recently added to his weaknesses when he befriended Eric. The blind man rarely socialized and basically only interacted with Eric and Dr. Iplier, but Dark would rather not risk harming the only doctor in the household. So his plan was set, it was a basic manipulation tactic, but an effective one nonetheless.


	2. Chapter 2

Straightening his tie, Dark left his office in search of Eric. The timid man was quite the enigma amongst the others ever since he arrived at the manor. Yes, out of the killers, cannibals, and stalkers,  _ Eric  _ was the one that stood out the most. Many were curious about his background, endeared even, from his nervous demeanour, to his worrying family dynamics. What was left of his family at least… 

If he was being honest, Eric would have been completely useless to Dark if not for his connections to the others. Everyone had their talents that benefitted the manor, even Derek’s business expertise helped with propaganda. Eric, like always, was a special case. Too neglected and abused to realise his true potential, settling for whatever his father had planned for him. At the moment, it only seems like he can be used to hurt the others where it hurts, the heart.

That was Dark’s hypothesis, at least. First, he should let himself get to know man of interest.

  
  


The commons area became a lot greyer when Dark walked in. A couple of egos were socializing, they seemed slightly confused but continued their actions. None of that mattered to the entity as he focused on his objective.

“Hello Eric,” He practically purred, full of charm and charisma. The timid ego nearly jumped out of his seat as his attention shifted from his book to the entity.

“Hey? Wait, I-I mean hello, Dark!” He shifted his gaze frantically around the room and grabbed his handkerchief. “Did-did I do something wrong?”

Dark smiled and tilted his head. “Of course not. I just wanted to have a chat with you. Nothing wrong with that, right?” 

Eric shook his head, which caused the other to summon a chair and sit across from him. He tucked his legs closer to his chest unintentionally, subconsciously worried that the grey aura surrounding the demon would hurt him. 

“You seem interested in that book. Why, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so calm.” 

“Ye-yeah… reading helps me, I guess?” His voice was laced with uncertainty. “I’ve been reading a lot lately… ‘cause of the Host,” He tried to give Dark a kind smile, but it faltered once he noticed the demon’s reaction.

“I’m glad the other’s are treating you nicely. Didn’t know that the Host could be so hospitable.” Dark straightened his suit and frowned slightly. “At least he’s showing someone respect here.” His shell started glitching in fits of anger. Then, like a switch, his smile returned.

Eric visibly paled, shaking like a leaf. Did the Host do something wrong? Surely it must be a mistake, maybe he should say something. 

“T-the Host, he - he’s really nice…” Voice as nervous as ever. Damn his anxiety. 

“I’m sure he is, now at least.” Dark snickered quietly to himself. Eric’s eyes widened at Dark’s statement and he stuttered in confusion. Just then, Dark stood up from his chair, ready to take his leave. “Well, I believe I’ve taken enough of your time. I’ll let you get back to your book now,” His voice laced was kindness as he cracked his neck. “Feel free to come by my office if you need anything, I’ll be happy to help. Just be sure to tell the Host I need to talk to him. Farewell, Derekson.” With a slight bow, he vanished, chair and all.

Now alone, Eric tried to process what just happened. Hopefully the Host isn’t in too much trouble. He’s only heard stories of what Dark is like when he’s mad, so he prays that nothing like that happens to his friend.

 

“How interesting.”

Eric had hurried into the Host’s office after his conversation with Dark and told him everything. 

“Um, w-will you be okay? I don’t think - he didn’t seem too mad.”

Aw, he’s worried. If this were different circumstances the Host would smile at his friend’s concern. However, at the moment he needs to focus on damage control.

“The Host assures you that he will be fine. It is true that he may be in trouble, but the consequences will most likely be brief. A minor ‘slap to the wrist’.” It doesn’t matter that he’s lying to Eric’s face. The poor man seems so worried that closure is the least he can do. He does hope that whatever Dark has planned for him is only a minor punishment, but he will admit he has been pushing his luck lately.

“That’s good, thank goodness…” He sighed in relief. “I-I guess Da-Dark seemed pretty nice? To-To me at least.” He wrapped his handkerchief around his hands. “Can’t you narrate what Dark’s gonna do? May-Maybe we can know for sure?”

“The Host is afraid that is not possible. Dark possesses so much power that the Host cannot narrate any of his actions. Still, he assures you again that everything will be fine.”

“R-Right, alright then… I won’t - I’m sorry.”

“There is no need to apologize, Eric. The Host is glad you care.”

 

Another day passed before Dark finally confronted the Host. He teleported into his office, surprising the blind man.

“Dark?!” He quickly put down his pen and stopped his work.

“Hello, Host,” The entity said with a venom-laced voice as he invited himself to sit across from the other. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” 

The Host swallowed coarsely. God, this wasn’t going to be pretty.

“It’s been brought to my attention that you’ve been neglecting your duties. Now, I’m all for you guys developing reputations and skills, but remember that I’m your superior. You all obey  _ my  _ orders.”

“The Host knows this-”

“Do you now? Well, then you sure aren’t showing it.”

Host kept his mouth shut. Clearly he wasn’t in a position to argue. Dark didn’t bother trying to control his chaotic aura, as it was glitching and snapping randomly. The ringing that accompanied the demon gradually became louder.

“I gave you the benefit of the doubt too… thought you were simply too busy with your writings and radio show. Yet, I find out that you have the time to start a ‘book club’,” He mocked sarcastically. “At least you’re being kind to the new ego.”

The tension is the room grew thicker after Dark’s last comment. The Host felt his blood run cold as he realised what game the entity wanted to play. He was walking on eggshells, with each cracked shell meaning one step closer to danger. “Eric does not need to be apart of this,” He said through gritted teeth.

“You’re right, he has no part in  _ your  _ fault. So he doesn’t need to be apart of this… as long you play your cards right.” He pulled three files out of thin air and threw them on the Host’s desk. Hesitantly, the Host picked up each file, running his thumb across each page as he mumbled about its contents. They were personal profiles of people he didn’t know of, seemingly regular citizens. 

“What do you want the Host to do?”

“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood because the task is simple. Kill them. Then you’ll be forgiven for your incompetence.”

The Host was taken aback by the entity’s blunt wording. Kill them? He sees no reason to. Why kill random innocents out of the blue?

“There’s no need for anything fancy, make it look like an accident preferably. You can narrate their actions if you want to,” Dark said casually, as if he was talking about the weather. 

“May the Host ask why these people need to die? Are they a threat?”

“Of course they are. They all saw too much, you can thank Wilford for that.” He straightened his suit, slowly becoming impatient.

“Surely there’s another way to deal with them. To avoid unnecessary death-”

“Just say you don’t want to do it, Host,” Dark snapped. The ringing was nearly becoming unbearable. “If you don’t do it, I’ll just give you another task,” He paused. “Maybe I’ll get Eric to do this… he needs help with his confidence, right?” He couldn’t help his knowing smile upon seeing the Host tense up. 

“He can’t kill them. He wouldn’t-”

“Why not?” Dark was reveling in his control. “People seem to meet  _ unusual _ fates when around him. I was going to have him do menial tasks but,  _ this _ could be the push he needs.”

“No!” The Host let out a shaky breath and lowered his head. “No, the Host will complete the task...he’s sorry for arguing.”

Dark didn’t even try to hide his satisfied grin. He politely folded his hands over his lap and held back a snicker. “I accept your apology, just get the job done. This shouldn’t be too hard for you anyways, you use to love using your powers like this.” The Host felt his blood boil, Dark paid no mind. “It’s always a pleasure to work with you, Host.”

And with that Dark vanished again. The Host held his head in his hands, not caring about the blood flowing from his eyes and staining his bandages. His breathing was rapid as he tried to process his situation.

Shakely, he reached for a fresh page of parchment and grabbed his pen. He then gripped the files of his soon-to-be victims and began to write.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Hours passed before the Host finally dropped his pen, letting it roll onto the floor. The room was finally quiet, except for the Host’s faint, raspy breathing. Blood had poured from his eyes due to overexertion of his power, staining his face and clothes a deep red. He collapsed onto his desk, not caring about the blood ruining the accursed papers scattered around. The poor man worked through the whole night right to the morning. His body felt like it was weighed down with rocks, enabling him from moving. It wasn’t long before he passed out on top of his desk. On top of graves he has created.

 

“Eric, you want one egg or two?” Dr. Iplier called out to the other. 

“T-Two, please.”

The doctor hummed to himself over the sound of the frying pan. The kitchen was quiet, he and Eric were usually the only egos that liked being up early in the morning. He served the other his breakfast of eggs and toast and watched as he scarfed them down quickly. 

“Damnit wait, I should probably make some food for Host too,” Dr. Iplier suddenly remembered while poking at his meal. “He’s usually awake by now.”

“Host was working on something, I-I think at least?” Eric said between mouthfuls of food.

“Of course he is,” he sighed. “That man has no concept of relaxing I swear!”

“I’ve seen you work for 12 hours straight-”

“Irrelevant.” He took a long sip of coffee, chuckling. “I’ll check up on him later, he’s probably just sleeping in today.”

“Did he pull  _ another  _ all-nighter? Damn that man,” Dr. Iplier grumbled to himself as he made his way to the Host’s library. After breakfast, he saw the other egos slowly trickle into the kitchen after waking up, but no Host. So he visited the other’s room and found it completely empty. 

He pushed open the library doors and turned on the lights. Still no Host. The doctor sighed and walked towards the Host’s office, ready to give him a scolding about his habits. However, when he opened the office door and turned on the lights, he nearly screamed.

It looked like a murder scene. The man he was looking for was slumped over his desk surrounded by clutter. There was blood staining the papers and slowly dripping onto the floor. Quickly, Dr. Iplier went over to the unconscious man and checked his pulse. It was slow, but relatively normal. No visible external injuries either.

‘All this from his eyes?’ He frantically looked at the mess on the Host’s desk. ‘What the hell was he working on?’

Most of the papers were unlegible, stained a dark red. The doctor tried to read some of the snippets he could see:

_ -plummeted to his death... _

_ -shot through the head… _

“What the fuck?” He was confused, but still focused on the task at hand. “Host?!” He gently shook the other. The Host groaned quietly, but didn’t move. Cursing to himself, Dr. Iplier grabbed the unconscious man’s waist and supported his body. The other man felt like dead weight, but Doc managed to get to his office without running into anyone.

Upon laying the Host onto a checkup bed, Dr. Iplier went to work. He checked his vitals. Stable. Any broken bones? Internal bleeding? No. That left him to one conclusion.

‘Exhaustion?’ He wondered to himself as he cleaned the dried blood and changed his bandages. Sure, the Host was a workaholic, but he knew his limits. He thought back to those papers he saw. Usually the Host is very uptight about keeping his work in perfect condition. If he cared about it then he wouldn’t ruin it with all that blood, he’d organize it. 

Unless he used his powers for something else. Unless he…

The Host stirred slightly, groaning loudly. Dr. Iplier snapped out of his thoughts. “Host? Host, can you hear me?”

“Dr. Iplier…?” The Host’s voice was weak. He tried to get up, only to be stopped with a hand on his chest.

“Hey, easy, easy. Don’t push yourself,” the doctor’s voice was laced with concern. “Jesus Christ man what happened?”

“The Host worked throughout the night. He had to,” he muttered, breathing heavily. 

Dr. Iplier felt his stomach drop at the omnipotent man’s cryptic wording. He knew what the Host did, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Pushing down his fear, he looked at his friend. He needed confirmation.

“What did you do?”

 

Eric pushed open the grand doors and wandered into the library. He didn’t see Dr. Iplier again after breakfast and wondered if he ever found the Host. All the lights were on, so Eric assumed that his friend was successful. He didn’t bother knocking upon reaching the older’s office and walked in.

“Hello, Eric.”

“Da-Dark?”

The entity was standing by the Host’s desk, looking through papers. The room was spotless and pristine, Dark must have went out of his way to clean the place. He looked at the confused man with amusement and he put down the papers he was reading.

“What are you - W-Where’s the Host? Is-Is he okay?”

“The Host is fine. He simply overworked himself last night,” Dark said calmly, folding his hands behind his back. “I believe he’s in Dr. Iplier’s clinic.”

“Oh no… I-I should check on him.” Eric glanced at the papers Dark was holding. “What was he working on? 

“Let’s just say, he decided to get in touch with his old roots.”

“W-What…?” Eric felt more confused than ever. For now, he ignored the panicked voice in his head and didn’t jump to conclusions.

Dark slowly walked towards Eric, who instinctively stepped backwards. “You should visit him as soon as possible.” Eventually, the entity placed his hand on Eric’s shoulder. A reassuring gesture, sure, but to the timid ego he might as well have stabbed him. “I never realized just how close you two are, quite the amazing feat. Be sure to tell the Host that I appreciate his work.”

Eric nodded his head and awkwardly backed away again. He said a quick “Goodbye” and hurried to the Host. Admitly, Dark could see the appeal in befriending the timid ego. In a sense that Eric was the kicked, abandoned puppy in the alleyway called life, a creature to take under your wing and pity.

“You have a nice day, Eric,” Dark called out as the other ego rushed to his friend.

 

“Host? Are you in here?” Eric called out, approaching the doctor’s clinic.

The man in question and Dr. Iplier looked in the direction of the timid ego as he rushed in. It wasn’t long before he stood next to the Host, who was now sitting upright on the checkup bed. The Host looked better, still tired, but better. 

“Are you alright, Eric?” The Host worried about the other’s urgency.

“Am-Am I alright? Dark told me you overworked yourself!” Eric let out a shaky breath and pulled at his handkerchief. “He was - he was in your office, reading what you worked on last night.”

The Host felt his blood boil at the mention of the entity and clenched his fists. Dr. Iplier was more worried about what the nervous man saw in the office. Hopefully not the gruesome scene he saw. Judging by Eric’s somewhat calm demeanour and the fact that Dark could actually read what the Host wrote, Doc assumed that the scene wasn’t graphic. 

“What did Dark say to you? Anything about the Host?” The blind man was seething at the idea of Dark intruding in his space. At least he’s good at hiding his anger.

“He-He said he liked your work. Appreciated it, I-I think?” Eric was concerned by the Host’s reaction. He seemed defeated, utterly defeated. His posture made it look like he wanted to cave into himself. Just disappear and be done with everything. Eric looked frantically between the Host and Dr. Iplier, who even had a matching grim expression. Everyone felt strangled by the tension in the room, preventing them from speaking.

“Host, w-what’s going on? You don’t - Are you alright…?” Eric managed to muster out.

The Host let out a quiet sigh. He was being backed into a corner and contemplated how to approach the situation. Leaving Eric in a state of concern and panic would only cause more problems. “Dark had to use...unsavoury disciplinary measures to remind the Host of his duty in this household,” he swallowed his pride and spoke his next sentence through gritted teeth. “But it was the Host’s fault he was so neglectful in the first place. He apologizes for worrying you, Eric, but rest assured the situation has been dealt with properly.” He then gave the other a tight smile. 

Eric wasn’t totally convinced that the situation was as cut-and-dry as the Host says it is, but he was relieved that it was all over. Still, Dr. Iplier looked troubled and was deep in thought.

“I think Host and I need to talk about some things… I’ll can get back to you later, but we need to be alone. Sorry.” Eric understood that the two still needed to sort things out and left. At least he got his closure.

Now alone, Dr. Iplier conducted a couple more procedures to make sure the Host was one hundred percent alright. He tried to focus on the white noise that was the Host’s narrations as he gathered his thoughts. Eventually, he decided to break the tension… but he did so with the equivalent of a sledgehammer. “Was it quick? Painless?”

“Yes, the Host made sure they did not suffer.”

“Thank god…”

Well, that was one question answered. Now that just left Doc with one more. Host felt uneasy, but the pain he feels cannot compare to the pain he has inflicted onto his victims.

“Why did you not do your work? You know how strict Dark is.”

“The Host did not know,” he mumbled.

Dr. Iplier could barely hear him. “What?”

“The Host did not know Dark would do this!” He snapped, startling Dr. Iplier. “He used Eric, as a - as a  _ tool _ , a simple pawn in his game. The Host had to protect Eric and submit,” he paused, contemplating his next words. “The Host, he needs to be careful, he… he should not be close to Eric.”

Dr. Iplier was taken aback but the Host’s conclusion. “Whoa, hey let’s not be brash here. You can still be friends with Eric.”

“The Host needs to stay away from him.” He began to fumble with his words. “He will be in danger. The Host cannot let that happen, he will not let that happen.” His voice was getting frantic, his head in his hands.

“Host?” Dr. Iplier took a small step back from his friend, surprised by his desperate actions.

Rushed narrations came from the Host. He was trying to predict the future of his friend, but as per usual his attempts were fruitless due to the chaotic nature of Dark’s power. He gasped, his endless words acted like water drowning his lungs. He exerted his power more and more, his eye sockets bleeding, bleeding, bleeding-

“Host!” Dr. Iplier roughly grabbed the man by his shoulders, snapping him out of his daze. “Calm. Down.” He reached over to get a small cloth to wipe away the blood. After making sure the Host was breathing properly, Dr. Iplier spoke again. “Look, I understand. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t scared of Dark too. But you need to look at the bigger picture, you’re not the only person that’s friends with Eric here.” He points at himself. “I’m friends with him too, who’s to say that Dark won’t do the same thing to me as he did you?”

The Host opened his mouth to argue, but after some thought he closed his mouth and pressed his lips into a tight line.

“If anything, I think it’s better for you to be close to him. You don’t need to use your powers to see how much you’ve helped him. This place is a madhouse, you and your library are the closest things to a safe space.”

“The Host supposes you’re right…” He trailed off. “He must protect Eric and-”

No, no, you’re still not looking at the bigger picture.” Dr. Iplier cut the other off and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, maybe I’m not wording this right but you’re not  _ obligated _ to do this. Eric’s not a goddamn damsel in distress! He’s your friend. And he’s done a lot for you too.”

For once, the Host stayed quiet and processed the doctor’s words. For a man as omnipotent as him, he sure was dense. But Dr. Iplier was right, Host wasn’t a marvellous hero in a story, he was just trying to survive in a world that doesn’t make sense. 

Eric has been abandoned far too much for a single man. Isolated by chance, like a random dice roll. On contrary to the Host, who voluntarily isolated himself behind a barrier of his words and stories. Very little have managed to speak well enough to break past his barriers, and god dammit he wasn’t going to let them go that easily. 

After a while, the quiet was peaceful between the two men. Dr. Iplier has a small, knowing smile, loving the fact that he won the argument. The Host left the clinic after a couple more observations and a stern lecturing about self-care and pacing yourself.

His library felt cold when he returned. A hollow feeling in his chest arose when he went inside his office. The place was spotless, far cleaner than how the Host leaves it. The papers he used the previous night were placed neatly on his desk with another note on top. He picked up the note and scowled. 

_ Make sure this doesn’t happen again. _

Each paper was crumpled and thrown away. With a sigh, the Host sat at his desk. He didn’t dare pick up his pen again, and he wasn’t in the mood for another radio session. Eventually he settled with reading one of his favourite novels.

 

The next morning came by and Eric lazily curled into his blankets. Unsurprisingly, it was hard for the younger to sleep. After a couple minutes of rest, he heard someone walking towards his door...and the very distinct sound of muttered narrations. Soon after, the Host was knocking at the door. 

“Come in…” said Eric with a yawn. He reached over and got his glasses on his bedside table. 

“Good morning, Eric.” The Host was in casual clothing, though his signature trench coat was still draped over his shoulders. 

The still tired ego mumbled a greeting and began to slowly get out of bed. 

“The Host was about to head down to the kitchen for breakfast. He asks if you want to join him.”

Eric smiled slightly. “Yeah, al-alright! I’d like that very much.”

The two made their way downstairs. Dr. Iplier apparently had an early shift at the hospital he works at and left, leaving a half empty coffee pot in his rush. Still, Eric and the Host enjoyed their silent morning. It was like they both paused their hectic lives, and chatted as if everything was normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! Sorry if it isn't that good, I had a bit of trouble writing this
> 
> I'm probably gonna write something more light-hearted next!

**Author's Note:**

> So this is something I thought of after I came up with Safe Space, hope you enjoy!
> 
> I have a tumblr if you wanna come chat...but I'm still setting it up so excuse the barren nature of it (Account is also called Lamiasluck)
> 
> Also, that Damien video???? Wild


End file.
